E-news: Gonadotropin deficiency is entirely hypothalamic in Kallmann's syndrome

New data has been reported by Young et al to demonstrate that the proteins encoded by two of the genes known to cause some forms of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism - neurokinin B and its receptor - are implicated in hypothalamic secretion of GnRH in humans.

The loss of function of either of these gene products could be reversed by pulsatile administration of exogenous GnRH. This should allow rapid restoration of fertility in patients harbouring mutations in the genes encoding these proteins: TAC3 and TACR3.